30 August, 2014

An
interview with the investigative journalist Nafeez Ahmed at the
RealNews network

Key
parts

"...
the origins of the group [ISIS] come from militant groups affiliated
to al-Qaeda that are operating in Iraq and Syria. And that's where it
gets murky, because, as we know, these groups were kind of engaged in
all kinds of militant activity fighting the Assad regime. They were
also active in responding to U.S. occupation after the 2003 invasion.
So there's a mix of different actors involved. So in Iraq we had
elements of even the Ba'ath party and ex-Saddam supporters who were
actually--according to many reports, they were being recruited by
these al-Qaeda militants."

"And
what makes it more murky is how these groups really became as kind of
virulent and kind of influential as they have, which is really the
kind of--you know, you follow the money. And you follow the money,
we're looking at the involvement of the Gulf states, which have
really empowered these groups over time and increased their ability
to operate. They've increased their arms, logistical trading. So
we've had the Saudis engaged in funding these groups in Syria."

"And
what makes it really more disturbing is, going deeper into that
evidence of the role of the Saudis and the Qataris and Kuwait, which
has been confirmed by various different sources, is really the way in
which the U.S. and the U.K. have overseen that process. And that's
something which isn't so much acknowledged in the mainstream, that
actually Britain and the United States were involved in knowingly
kind of facilitating the support to these groups, despite knowing
their links to al-Qaeda calling back as early as 2009."

"that
batch of files [obtained by WikiLeaks] contains some really
interesting correspondence, including correspondence where some
senior executives at Stratfor were describing meetings that they had
had with senior Pentagon officials and senior U.S. army officials
where those officials openly described how U.S. special forces and
British special forces had been operating in Syria long before the
kind of major, major civil unrest that kind of really broke out, and
they had been operating in kind of supporting these groups. And it
was very clearly stated by these officers at the time--and the emails
are there, people can check them out, and I've written about them in
some of my Guardian articles and some of my other articles
elsewhere--that they quite explicitly said that this is about
destabilizing the Assad regime from within. They had even explored
the possibility of airstrikes on targets. But the favored policy was
using these groups as a proxy force to destabilize Assad's regime."

"The
United States has for long time wanted to ensure that it kind of
sidelines Russia and Iran in all of these various pipeline projects.
So when Iran signed this kind of memorandum with Assad, that was kind
of considered like a major kind of strategic setback, and something
kind of needed to be done. And apart from that, there were also many
other--there was generally other kind of geopolitical issues apart
from the fact that Russia has a military base there. There's also
issues such as the role that Assad has played in relation to the
Middle East conflict, the support that they've provided to Hamas,
their relationship with the Iranians, and that whole general thing.
So there's this general perception of Syria being this part of the
so-called axis of evil in a way. You know. So the whole pipeline
thing kind of accelerated that fear, I think, and made them want to
do something."

"...
and we even have State Department cables, also leaked by WikiLeaks,
where literally we have State Department officials talking about how
there is going to be civil unrest in Syria very soon, very likely,
because of food prices and the strain on food due to these droughts
and due to the effect on farmers."

"...
when we look at the way in which we've been funding some of these
groups, it's kind of ironic that we have the very same people now
calling for boots on the ground, calling for a response, are the same
people that have been very loud in their support for arming some of
the most virulent of elements of these rebel groups."

"...
if we look at some of the reports that we've had over the last few
years of the plans for the region, there are certainly elements in
the Pentagon of a neoconservative persuasion who have seen the rise
of this kind of group in a way as a boon to reconfigure the Middle
East."

"...
one of the sources I looked at was a publicly available RAND report
that was published a couple of years. It was commissioned by the U.S.
army. And it was a kind of a thought piece. It was a policy briefing.
It was looking at policy options for the United States in essentially
reconfiguring the Middle East and exploring how to counter terrorism.
But those policy options were pretty Machiavellian in some ways [...]
there was a range of scenarios that were explored. One of them was
divide-and-rule, openly talking about empowering Salafi jihadists to
some extent in order to kind of weaken Iranian influence, openly
talking about empowering, using the Gulf states, because they have
access to the petroleum resources, so using them to kind of funnel
support to these groups that would eventually create kind of like a
vortex of intra-Muslim conflict that would get terrorists and
extremists on different sides fighting each other, that would weaken
all of them and allow U.S. interests and Israeli interests to kind of
consolidate their own kind of security while these guys are fighting
amongst themselves."

“The
UN refugee agency reports that Syria's intensifying refugee crisis
will today pass a record 3 million people, amid reports of
horrifying conditions inside the country. These include cities where
populations are surrounded, people are going hungry and civilians are
being indiscriminantly killed.”

"Almost
half of all Syrians have now been forced to abandon their homes and
flee for their lives. One in every eight Syrians has fled across
the border, fully a million more than a year ago. A further 6.5
million are displaced within Syria. Over half of those uprooted are
children,"

“UNHCR
and other aid agencies say increasing numbers of families are
arriving in a shocking state, exhausted, scared and with their
savings depleted. Most have been on the run for a year or more,
fleeing from village to village before taking the final decision to
leave.”

"There
are worrying signs too that the journey out of Syria is becoming
tougher, with many people forced to pay bribes at armed checkpoints
proliferating along the borders. Refugees crossing the desert into
eastern Jordan are being forced to pay smugglers hefty sums (US$100 a
head or more) to take them to safety,"

"Syrians
are now the world's largest refugee population under UNHCR care,
second only in number to the decades-long Palestinian crisis. The
Syria operation is now the largest in UNHCR's 64-year history,"

“...
the Syrian crisis 'has become the biggest humanitarian emergency
of our era, yet the world is failing to meet the needs of
refugees and the countries hosting them.'”

“UNHCR
is also deeply concerned for the well-being of several hundred
Syrians trapped inside the Al Obaidy refugee camp in Al Qa'im, Iraq,
after UN agencies and international NGOs were forced to abandon their
offices and warehouses. UNHCR says national partners are continuing
to provide supplies and maintenance, but the situation is volatile.”

“Many
newly arriving refugees say they only left Syria as a last resort. A
growing number, including more than half of those coming to Lebanon,
have moved at least once before fleeing, and one in 10 have moved
more than three times. One woman told UNHCR she had moved 20 times
before crossing into Lebanon.”

“The
UNHCR statement said a growing share of new arrivals – up to 15
per cent in Jordan, for example – were suffering from long-term
medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer,
and left because they were no longer able to get adequate health care
at home.”

“In
the past year alone, 1.7 million refugees received food aid,
350,000 children were enrolled in school, and shelter in camps was
provided for more than 400,000 refugees. Since the beginning of the
crisis in March 2011, UNHCR has registered refugees faster than at
any time in its history.”

29 August, 2014

Due to
the dramatic escalation in violence over the past few days and the
massive assault on Gaza, UNRWA has declared an emergency in all five
areas of the Gaza Strip. It is closely monitoring the situation and
stands ready to mount an emergency response should that become
necessary. The priority for the Agency has now shifted to emergency
operations, providing assistance to those who have been displaced and
sought shelter in UNRWA schools, while attempting to continue regular
operations. Urgent funding needs persist and are increasing

Key
parts:

“The
number of IDPs staying in UNRWA shelters is 52,235. 60 shelters
remain open. Over the next couple of days UNRWA is expecting the
IDP numbers to stabilize. It is still premature to draw conclusions
regarding the number of IDPs who would opt to remain in UNRWA
shelters for a longer period of time as their homes are
uninhabitable, and those that may be able to return to their homes or
seek alternative shelter options, such as staying with host
families.”

“UNMAS
[United Nations Mine Action Service] reassessed 28 installations for
unexploded ordnance (UXO), with two of them requiring further work as
there is possibly UXO in them. UNRWA staff began cleaning UXO cleared
schools in the North to prepare for resumption of the new school year
in coordination with the Ministry of Education.”

“The
cumulative death toll among Palestinians is at least 2,104, according
to preliminary data collected by the Protection Cluster from various
sources, including 377 persons who could not yet be identified or
their status established. Of the initially verified cases, 1,462 are
believed to be civilians, including 495 children and 253 women, and
265 members of armed groups.”

“One
of UNRWA’s dedicated health staff is Dr. Kefah El Najjar. She lives
in Gaza City and commuted to the Health Center in her car to work as
Senior Medical Officer in Jabalia in the North of the Gaza Strip. Dr.
El Najjar stated, with tears in her eyes, that during the emergency
she was scared every day: 'When I left my house, I prayed to God that
I can reach the Health Center safely. While at work, I prayed to God
to save my family at home. My kids tried to stop me from coming to
work every day. Still many patients came to my health center, so of
course I continued coming to work.'”

“Since
the start of the military escalation, UNRWA Health Centers (HCs)
in Gaza have recorded, as of 27 August, 566,150 patient visits.”

“UNRWA’s
regular food distribution to a total caseload of over 830,000
beneficiaries continued. Food rations were provided to 3,995
families through UNRWA distribution centers.”

“Data
on damage to UNRWA installations is based on preliminary information
and subject to change based on further verification. UNRWA
estimates that 110 installations have been damaged since 8 July
2014.”

28 August, 2014

As of this afternoon, almost 233,000 IDPs had left the UNRWA shelters.
The number of IDPs staying in UNRWA shelters is 54,261. 78 shelters
remained open. Over the next couple of days UNRWA is expecting the IDP
numbers to stabilize. It is still premature to draw conclusions on the
number of IDPs who would opt to remain in the shelters for a longer
period of time and those who may be able to return to their homes.

On the 50th day of the military escalation, an open-ended
ceasefire has been agreed between Palestine and Israel and came into
effect on 26 August at 19:00hrs.

Anything short of the lifting of the seven-year blockade on Gaza will
not lead to a sustainable ceasefire, which is what is needed to restore a
life of normalcy to the Palestinians in Gaza, including the over 1.2
million Palestine refugees.

... both parties must return to meaningful negotiations towards a final
status agreement that addresses all the cores issues and ends the
47-year occupation. It is time for the people of Gaza to be given the
chance to build their lives and it is time for the people of Palestine
to live normal lives.

The child protection working group and UNICEF estimate that about
373,000 children might require direct and specialized psychosocial
support.

The high prevalence of cases in which the majority of members of the
same family have been killed, in many cases entire families, is deeply
disturbing. As of 25 August, it is estimated that at least 142 families
lost three or more members of the same family, for a total of 739
individuals.

The cumulative death toll among Palestinians is at least 2,101,
according to preliminary data collected by the Protection Cluster from
various sources, including 376 persons who could not be yet identified
or their status established. Of the initially verified cases, 1,460 are
believed to be civilians, including 493 children and 253 women, and 265
members of armed groups. Approximately 25 Palestinians accused of
collaborating with Israel have reportedly been killed in Gaza by armed
groups since 21 August. These have not been included in the fatality
toll above.

... reports indicate Palestinians are very concerned that the unprecedented
destruction in Gaza, which ended last night, will not be followed by a
political solution to address the blockade and violence may resume.

65 per cent of the population is 24 years old or younger, and before the
military escalation youth unemployment stood at a staggering 65 per
cent. Between 2000 and 2014, the number of Palestine refugees coming to
UNRWA for regular food aid has increased from less than 80,000 to over
830,000 today. For Palestinians in Gaza food has become even less
affordable as they have not been able to earn an income during the war,
whilst for others the hosting of displaced relatives and friends means
that they have extra people to feed.

Right now the entire population of the Gaza Strip is receiving food aid
through regular food assistance, including the 830,000 UNRWA caseload,
food provision to shelters and through the exceptional food
distribution.

Maher Sammur is 66 years old and visited Jabalia DC to collect her food
parcel and has been struggling to access food for the 22 members of her
family during the conflict. 'We suffer from very hard economic
conditions,' she explained. 'This is very important aid as it provides
the family with flour and rice. During the war I had to wait for hours
to get bread from the bakery, but now I will be able to make bread in my
house and avoid the suffering of getting bread from outside.'

Reportedly, there were 102 rockets and 71 mortar shells fired towards
Israel. There were also reports that 61 air-to-ground missiles were
fired into Gaza. 107 tank shells were fired from the fence into
populated areas. Reportedly, 10 houses were bombarded. A ceasefire came
into effect at 1900hrs on 26 August 2014.

Data on damage to UNRWA installations is based on preliminary
information and subject to change based on further verification. UNRWA
estimates that 110 installations have been damaged since 8 July 2014.

“Taking
a look at the news since Ukraine started making headlines shows me
that distraction appears to be working. I’m not suggesting this was
by design. I don’t think that’s the case. It is, however,
convenient for EU policy makers who’ve completely screwed up the
European marketplace and are looking for someone to blame. Putin is a
Godsend.”

“While
all this is taking place I have to wonder where and what other
opportunities arise from this very large and accelerating power
shift. An active move away from the dollar is underway and has
been for some time. What is important now is that this is being
accelerated by the public sector and not the private sector. Moves
such as the BRICS setting up the financial infrastructure to transact
away from the dollar is bold indeed.”

“Actions
of this nature, or just the mere consideration of such actions, would
have been previously met with threats of tariffs, curtailment of aid
or even outright sanctions from the United States. That they are
taking place now on a near daily basis shows just how fast the
geopolitical landscape is changing. The economic decline evident in
the Western, socialist world and the US in particular is evident to
anyone not reading CNN. This coupled with Obama’s refusal to
curtail the NSA has accelerated both the desire and the fortitude of
many countries around the world to proceed to change the status quo.”

The
geopolitical landscape indeed changing fast, but the truth is that
there is nothing "Socialist" left in the Western world.
Former Socialist parties have only kept the "brand name" of
Socialism as they have fully adopted the neoliberal policies and
agenda. The best proof is that the US and EU destructive policies are
guided by private banking-corporate lobbies which are using the
politicians-puppets to impose their interests. Former and current
banking and corporate executives strongly influence every
governmental decision.

As
described in the article above, the BRICS are moving away from dollar
and this action is being accelerated by the public sector and not the
private sector. This is another proof that the Western banking
cartels and multinational corporations fear that the neoliberal model
they want to impose is being threatened by a rising economic system
based on different philosophy.

History
shows that when the Western oligarchs feel that their interests are
seriously threatened, the result is usually a major war, but this
time, things are much more difficult for them.

Neo-nazis
from Greece, Italy and Scandinavia are among the paramilitary
neo-nazi groups joining Kiev's military forces against separatists in
East Ukraine. The presence of the Greek neo-nazis was revealed on
Telegraph by the head of one of the most powerful paramilitary
groups, the Azov Battalion.

Through
their extremist profiles on social media, neo-nazis in Ukraine
managed to attract foreign fighters. According to the leader of the
Azov Battalion, Andriy Biletsky, there are men from Ireland, Italy,
Greece and Scandinavia under his command. In their base, a former
sniper from the Swedish army, National Guard and current member of
the Swedish far-Right, Michael Skilt, leads and trains one of the
teams.

As he
claimed on Telegraph, "the fighter woke-up inside him"
after the clashes in Kiev. He receives around 130 euros per month for
his "services" in Ukraine. After the end of his mission, he
plans to go to Syria and fight for Bashar al-Assad. He states that,
as a mercenary earns quite a lot of money.

Meanwhile,
according to the Athens Courier newspaper, there are also Greeks
among the representatives of various nationalities in the ranks of
the Russian separatists. There is a large community of Greeks in the
east of Ukraine, who have suffered as much as other residents of the
region and many of them fled for Russia's Rostov and Kuban regions.

“Pontic
Greeks, who live in Greece, should be concerned with the fate of the
Greeks living in Mariupol, which is trapped under the shelling [and
other firing] of the Kiev-Lviv punishers,” according to the
newspaper.

It is also
noted that apart from Greeks, two battalions of Serbs and even 25 US
citizens are fighting for “traditional human values” alongside
militia in southeast Ukraine. According to earlier reports, within
the Vostok Battalion, there are
volunteers from Spain, Italy, France, Canada, Russia and Poland.

27 August, 2014

Due to
the dramatic escalation in violence over the past few days and the
massive assault on Gaza, UNRWA has declared an emergency in all five
areas of the Gaza Strip. It is closely monitoring the situation and
stands ready to mount an emergency response should that become
necessary. The priority for the Agency has now shifted to emergency
operations, providing assistance to those who have been displaced and
sought shelter in UNRWA schools, while attempting to continue regular
operations. Urgent funding needs persist and are increasing

Key
parts:

“The
Gaza population is terrified as the Israeli Air Force (IAF) continues
to destroy selected residential and commercial properties across the
Gaza Strip and in the heart of the coastal enclave, Gaza City. The
strikes follow warnings through leaflets, text messages or phone
calls, some of them pre-recorded, others reportedly sent from mobile
phone numbers abroad, to Gaza residents, just minutes
before an attack. Gazans do not know whether a text
message is a hoax, an immediate threat to their life, loved ones, or
home, or a general warning. The psychological impact of this practice
is enormous.”

“There
are no sirens and no bunkers for civilians, and there is nowhere safe
to run with the potential exception of UN facilities. Last night,
thirteen and fourteen floor towers in Gaza City were attacked and
completely destroyed. In the middle of the night, hundreds of
panicked residents from towers across from UNRWA’s main office in
Gaza city crowded into the yard of the Agency’s technical college
adjacent to the compound, hoping this would provide them some
enhanced degree of protection.”

“For
civilians and humanitarian workers in Gaza City right now the
situation is more dangerous than at any time in the past fifty days,
with missiles strikes on vehicles taking place without warning right
outside buildings including the UNRWA compound.Yesterday
afternoon, a suspected drone strike impacted on the street 30 meters
from the UNRWA guards at the main gate. One distribution center
in Gaza City was closed after airstrikes in the near vicinity. The
UNRWA guard, who is there to protect the distribution center and to
ensure neutrality of UN installations, fell over taking cover and
sustained severe injuries on his back.”

“Over
the course of the past 24 hours and according to initial reports,
some 9 Palestinians were killed
and 74 injured, and one Palestinian died
of his wounds sustained during previous days of conflict.”

“Reportedly,
there were 69 rockets and 79 mortar shells fired towards Israel.
There were also reports that 128 air-to-ground missiles were fired
into Gaza. 155 tank shells were fired from the fence into
populated areas. Reportedly, 25 houses in Gaza were bombarded.”

“Almost
all families in Gaza are coping with grief – including many
cases in which multiple members of the same family have been killed.
Extreme and continuous levels of violence have caused deep levels of
fear in the population of Gaza.”

“An
emerging priority is emergency education activities. It has been
impossible for children to begin their 2014/2015 school year on 24
August due to the use of UNRWA schools as shelters. It will take time
and resources to return to a formal education environment.”

“More
than 20,000 homes are estimated to have been rendered uninhabitable.
Vital water and sanitation infrastructure has been damaged, with at
least 40 per cent of the water supply network unusable as of 22
August.”

“As
of last night, 289,109 IDPs took refuge in 85 UNRWA schools. The
total number of IDPs supported by UNRWA increased to 324,122,
including 35,013 IDPs sheltered in government facilities.”

“UNRWA’s
regular food distribution to a total caseload of over 830,000
beneficiaries continued. Food rations were provided to 3,913 families
through UNRWA distribution centers.”

“14
of 21 health centers were operating. 86 per cent of the staff
reported to work, and 16,223 patients were served on 25 August.”

“Data
on damage to UNRWA installations is based on preliminary information
and subject to change based on further verification. UNRWA
estimates that 110 installations have been damaged since 8 July
2014.”

Latin
America to open the road for other countries to escape from debt
slavery

by
system failure

Probably
the most significant reason for which the Western sanctions against
Russia will eventually turn against the West itself, or more
accurately, against the Western economic elites, is that they forced
Russia and China to accelerate their plans to build their own
geopolitical and economic frame.

Just
when Argentina was in the corner and the ravens were ready to devour
the country*, BRICS's movements to establish their own
economic system, offered to Argentina an alternative to escape from
the Western money market monopoly. This was probably a key factor
that permitted Argentina to resist:

“A
US court has backed the vulture funds; but last week, Argentina
sidestepped its jurisdiction by transferring the trustee for
payment from Bank of New York Mellon to its own central bank. That
play, if approved by the Argentine Congress, will allow the
country to continue making payments under its 2005 settlement,
avoiding default on the majority of its bonds.”

“Argentina
is already foreclosed from international capital markets, so it
doesn’t have much to lose by thwarting the US court system.
Similar bold moves by Ecuador and Iceland have left those
countries in substantially better shape than Greece, which went
along with the agendas of the international financiers.”

“Countries
do need to be able to buy foreign products that they cannot
acquire or produce domestically, and for that they need a form of
currency or an international credit line that other nations will
accept. But countries are increasingly breaking away from the oil-
and weapons-backed US dollar as global reserve currency.”

Unlike
Greece and its puppet government which are fully surrendered to the
Western capital** which systematically destroys the country to
benefit from this destruction, Argentina and Latin America approach
the resistance side:

“Latin
American countries, however, condemned the West’s attempts to
isolate Russia and said they would not take any measure against
their longtime ally, Russia.”

“'The
region is one of the biggest food producers of the world and…US
and EU protectionism hinders its international trade. That is why
I don’t think this EU countries diplomatic pressure will have
any effect. How can they ask us not to trade with Russia while
they block our products into their markets,' Jorge Castro, an
international analyst, told Press TV.”

“Brazil
and Uruguay have already confirmed an increase of exports of meat
and dairy products. Argentine government has also sent a senior
official to the Russian capital to sign cooperation agreements.”

“'We
are going to expand our agricultural production and finance new
companies in this sector. We are the fifth food exporter in the
world and this administration’s intention is to increase even
more our trade capabilities,' Argentina’s Chief of the Cabinet
of Ministers Jorge Capitanich said.”

The
desperate neocon hawks have now only one alternative, which is to
drag Russia into a warm conflict, but the growing chaos in the Middle
East (which is largely their fault) and the ISIS threat, forced them
to drop the Russian front and hypocritically seek alliance even with
Bashar al-Assad and Iran to deal with the problem of the so-called
Islamic State.
(http://failedevolution.blogspot.gr/2014/08/temporary-turn-of-180-degrees-by-neocon.html)

This
is a unique opportunity for Argentina and Latin America to show to
other debt-enslaved countries that there is an alternative against
the money market tyranny.

*
“Where territories were once captured by military might, he
maintains that today they are being annexed by debt. The
still-evolving plan is to drive destitute nations into an
international bankruptcy court whose decisions would have the
force of law throughout the world. The court could then do with
whole countries what US bankruptcy courts do with businesses: sell
off their assets, including their real estate. Sovereign
territories could be acquired as the spoils of bankruptcy without
a shot being fired.”

“Global
financiers and interlocking megacorporations are increasingly
supplanting governments on the international stage. An
international bankruptcy court would be one more institution
making that takeover legally binding and enforceable. Governments
can say no to the strong-arm tactics of the global bankers’
collection agency, the IMF. An international bankruptcy court
would allow creditors to force a nation into bankruptcy, where
territories could be involuntarily sold off in the same way that
assets of bankrupt corporations are.”

“For
Argentina, says Salbuchi, the likely prize is its very rich
Patagonia region, long a favorite settlement target for ex-pats.
When Argentina suffered a massive default in 2001, the global
press, including Time and The New York Times, went so far as to
propose that Patagonia be ceded from the country as a defaulted
debt payment mechanism.”

“Many
countries have been subjected to similar treatment, as John
Perkins documents in his blockbuster exposé Confessions of an
Economic Hit Man. When the country cannot pay, the IMF sweeps in
with refinancing agreements with strings attached, including
selling off public assets and slashing public services in order to
divert government revenues into foreign debt service.”

“More
than 300 people have died while trying to make irregular sea
crossings from North Africa to Europe in the past week, bringing the
death toll this year from sinking vesels on the Mediterranean to
almost 1,900, including some 1,600 since June.”

“...
the first and largest of these incidents occurred last Friday when a
boat, reportedly carrying at least 270 people, capsized near
Garibouli to the east of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Nineteen people
survived, but the Libyan coastguard has recovered the bodies of 100
others, including five young children and seven women. The remaining
251 passengers are feared drowned.”

“In a
second incident on Saturday evening, the Italian Navy rescued 73
people and recovered 18 bodies from a damaged rubber dinghy 20 miles
from Libyan territorial waters. UNHCR's Fleming said 10 people were
still missing and feared drowned.”

“In a
third incident, on Sunday evening, a fishing boat carrying about 400
people capsized north of the Libyan coast in bad weather. The Italian
Navy and coastguard, in a joint operation with a nearby merchant
ship, rescued 364 people. So far, 24 bodies have been recovered and
more are feared dead. The exact number of missing is not yet
confirmed.”

"UNHCR's
Tripoli office receives daily calls from refugees, asylum-seekers and
other vulnerable people expressing fear for their lives and making
desperate requests for food, water, medicine and relocation. Those
who choose to leave for Italy are taking longer and riskier journeys
through new ports of departure such as Benghazi [in eastern Libya]."

Due to
the dramatic escalation in violence over the past few days and the
massive assault on Gaza, UNRWA has declared an emergency in all five
areas of the Gaza Strip. It is closely monitoring the situation and
stands ready to mount an emergency response should that become
necessary. The priority for the Agency has now shifted to emergency
operations, providing assistance to those who have been displaced and
sought shelter in UNRWA schools, while attempting to continue regular
operations. Urgent funding needs persist and are increasing

Key
parts:

“According
to preliminary information recorded by the Protection Cluster, the
cumulative death toll among Palestinians stands at 2,076. 1,454 –
70 per cent – are believed to be civilians, including 491 children
and 253 women. Out of the 2,076 killed, 253 are
believed to be militants, and the status of a further 369 killed
Palestinians is still to be determined.”

“As
of last night, 283,220 IDPs took refuge in 85 UNRWA schools.
The slight numerical decrease is due to improvements in the
registration system. Particularly in the North, which has the highest
shelter population, the displaced were moving between several
shelters and between shelters and homes to collect personal items,
making it difficult to provide accurate data. The total number of
IDPs supported by UNRWA is 319,356, including 36,136 IDPs sheltered
in government facilities.”

“Throughout
the conflict, 594 babies, 331 boys and 263 girls, were born to
mothers taking refuge in UNRWA emergency shelters.”

“The
entire population of the Gaza Strip is currently depending on food
aid. Under the UNRWA and WFP exceptional food aid distribution,
which commenced on 11 August, 69 per cent of all eligible 143,000
families (approximately 730,000 individuals) received their rations
so far.”

“UNRWA
also continues its regular food distribution, consisting of flour,
rice, sugar, sunflower oil, milk powder and canned meat, to a total
of 830,000 beneficiaries six days a week through its distribution
centers, as well as the provision of food aid to shelters in
cooperation with WFP.”

“It
is early on Sunday morning and the sound of school bells can be
heard. Playgrounds are full. Students are in lines singing the
Palestinian national anthem. Teachers are supervising activities.
Speeches are being delivered. This however, is not a typical
school assembly, falling on day 48 of a war that has seen
unprecedented loss of life and devastation across the Gaza Strip.”

“Bisan
will commence the 8th grade this year. She has been taking refuge
with her family in Beach Elementary Co-ed School C for the past 37
days and participated in the ceremony held there. 'We will smile
despite the destruction, displacement and homelessness we are
passing through,' said Bisan. 'The world’s students are now
preparing their school bags following a happy summer vacation,
celebrating the new school year and meeting their friends, but we
Gaza children are not.' The reality of the situation for
children in Gaza compared to that of those in other countries also
does not go unnoticed by Bisan and her classmates. 'I hope that
we can lead a normal life similar to other children in the world
and can go to our schools in safety and security; we did not do
anything wrong and on this day we should have been sitting at
school desks.'”

“Alternative
teaching and curriculum also provide for the opportunity to help
children learn about maintaining their health and personal safety,
including how to avoid unexploded ordnances.”

“Under
its Community Mental Health Program (CMHP), 95 UNRWA counselors
reported to the shelters on 24 August. So far the CMHP has provided
18,128 sessions encompassing mental health awareness, psychosocial
support covering 151,266 parents and recreational and animation
activities to 176,667 children. CMHP also coordinated and supervised
the implementation of 4,465 sessions by other partners covering
22,828 adult IDPs and 121,822 children.”

“14
of 21 health centers were operating. 83 per cent of the staff
reported to work, and 16,449 patients were served on 24 August.”

“Reportedly,
there were 75 rockets and 81 mortar shells fired towards Israel.
There were also reports that 168 air-to-ground missiles were fired
into Gaza in addition to 35 navy shells. 168 tank shells
were fired from the fence into populated areas. Reportedly, 33 houses
were bombarded.”

“Data
on damage to UNRWA installations is based on preliminary information
and subject to change based on further verification. UNRWA
estimates that 109 installations have been damaged since 8 July
2014.”

“The
total value of imports-arrivals, for the 6-month period
from January to June 2014 amounted to 23741,2 million euros
(32438,3 million dollars) in comparison with 23451,1 million euros
(30718,6 million dollars) for the corresponding period of the year
2013recording an increase, in euros, of 1,2%.The
corresponding change excluding oil products recorded an increase of
1320,9 million euros or 8,9%.”

“The
total value of exports-dispatches, for the 6-month period
from January to June 2014 amounted to 13127,2 million euros
(18042,0 million dollars) in comparison with 13766,7 million euros
(18130,5 million dollars) for the corresponding period of the year
2013, recording a drop, in euros, of 4,6%. The corresponding change
excluding oil products recorded a drop of 336,6 million euros or
4,0%.”

“The
deficit of the Trade Balance, for the 6-month period from January
to June 2014 amounted to 10614,0 million euros (14396,3 million
dollars) in comparison with 9684,4 million euros (12588,1 million
dollars) for the corresponding period of the year 2013, recording
an increase, in euros, of 9,6%. The corresponding change excluding
oil products recorded an increase of 1657,5 million euros or 25,3%.”

After the announcement of the
Greek Council of State, through which the propaganda campaign by the
banking-media dictatorship in Greece was officially confirmed
especially during the latest years of crisis
(http://failedevolution.blogspot.gr/2014/07/greece-media-propaganda-officially.html),
a letter from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to the Greek PM,
Antonis Samaras, essentially confirms the intention of the neoliberal
government to transform the supposedly public broadcaster, NERIT,
into a basic tool of governmental propaganda, always for the benefit
of the banking-media dictatorship.

Therefore, this is an official
confirmation that Greece is surrounded by "propaganda
frequencies" which are trying to erase every independent voice
against the plans of the government-puppet, whose mission is to
complete the Greek experiment and therefore attempts to stay in power
by any means.

It would be useful to remember
that, almost a year ago, EBU has chosen to stop its support to the
free Hellenic Public Broadcaster (ERT) after has been shut down
dictatorially by the government, in order to support the governmental
creation of DT later renamed as NERIT. After a year, probably
realized what this government tries to do:

“...
last year's Law 4173/2013 on NERIT introduced a number of important
safeguards to protect the public service broadcaster from undue
political influence, and the rules on the appointment of the members
of the Supervisory Council were a key part of them. Interestingly,
the recent judgment of the Greek Court of Cassation rejecting the
action for annulment of the joint ministerial decision ordering ERT's
closure was also partly based on this promise.

[...]

We
are now surprised and disappointed that these rules have been changed
virtually overnight, without proper public consultation and debate,
and without considering best practice in Europe with regard to legal
safeguards to ensure an independent and pluralistic composition of
public service broadcasters' supervisory bodies.”

25 August, 2014

Due to
the dramatic escalation in violence over the past few days and the
massive assault on Gaza, UNRWA has declared an emergency in all five
areas of the Gaza Strip. It is closely monitoring the situation and
stands ready to mount an emergency response should that become
necessary. The priority for the Agency has now shifted to emergency
operations, providing assistance to those who have been displaced and
sought shelter in UNRWA schools, while attempting to continue regular
operations. Urgent funding needs persist and are increasing

Key
parts:

“There
is no safe place in Gaza. The bombardment of populated areas
continues day and night, with the IDF sending messages through
leaflets, phone calls or mobile phone texts warning civilians to stay
away from terrorists and terror infrastructure as the IDF will
continue their attacks. Last night, the IDF carried out several
strikes including on Rafah in Southern Gaza where a commercial
center, located less than 30 meters away from an UNRWA school serving
as a shelter, was completely destroyed. The IDF phone calls
received by residents in the neighbourhood and by UNRWA staff were
just minutes prior to the attack, causing major panic
amongst the shelter population. Past midnight, all 1,416
displaced self-evacuated to another UNRWA school.”

“The
Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world,
with some 4,700 inhabitants per square kilometer. With the Gaza Strip
effectively sealed off, removing the option of fleeing the costal
enclave, and the East side of the Gaza Strip (former buffer zone)
severely damaged and scattered with unexploded ordnance, the
continuous offensive to the West of the former buffer zone will leave
people with simply nowhere to go.”

“According
to preliminary information recorded by the Protection Cluster, the
cumulative death toll among Palestinians stands at 2,062. 1,450 –
70 per cent – are believed to be civilians, including 482 children
and 250 women.”

“School
bells were ringing this morning at 07:00 in all 85 UNRWA emergency
shelters in Gaza to mark what should have been the first day of
school. This was a reminder to everyone that, despite the war, every
child in Gaza has the right to education.”

“Education
in Gaza was at a crisis point even prior to the current emergency.
The ongoing conflict has seen at least 79 UNRWA schools damaged,
and 85 functioning as shelters, where the Agency is currently
sheltering 292,959 people, including about 75,000 school-aged
children between 6 and 14.”

“The
Israeli blockade of Gaza has prevented much needed new schools from
being built and if it is not lifted at the conclusion of the war, it
will impair reconstruction efforts.”

“14
of 21 health centers were operating. 80 per cent of the staff
reported to work, and 17,304 patients were served on 24 August.”

“Reportedly,
there were 89 rockets and 24 mortar shells fired towards Israel.
There were also reports that 170 air-to-ground missiles were fired
into Gaza in addition to 40 navy shells. 105 tank shells
were fired from the fence into populated areas. Reportedly, 23 houses
were bombarded.”

“Data
on damage to UNRWA installations is based on preliminary information
and subject to change based on further verification. UNRWA
estimates that 109 installations have been damaged since 8 July 2014.
Two UNRWA schools in Deir el Balah and Rafah, which were previously
damaged during the war, sustained additional damages. One of the
schools serves as a designated emergency shelter.”